Afghanistan secured a resounding victory over Sri Lanka in Pune, triumphing by seven wickets. The Afghanistan bowling lineup posed numerous challenges for Sri Lanka, limiting their total to 241, despite several Sri Lankan batters making promising starts.
The chase demonstrated remarkable composure as Afghanistan rebounded from an early setback, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the very first over, to ultimately reach their target with seven wickets in hand and 28 balls to spare. This outstanding performance was fueled by the batting heroics of Rahmat Shah (62), Hashmatullah Shahidi (58), and Azmatullah Omarzai (73), after Ibrahim Zadran kick-started the innings with a classy 39.
This win keeps Afghanistan firmly in contention for a spot in the semi-finals, while Sri Lanka’s hopes of making it to the final four now appear all but extinguished.
In a topsy-turvy match, the pendulum swung decidedly in Afghanistan’s favor, even as Sri Lanka threatened to expose Afghanistan’s vulnerable lower-middle order. Afghanistan’s resilience during the powerplay phase set a strong foundation as they pursued the 242-run target.
The loss of key opener Gurbaz for a duck in the opening over, courtesy of Dilshan Madushanka, was swiftly countered by the partnership of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah, stabilizing the innings. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka staged a comeback when Madushanka dismissed Zadran for a stylish 39, leaving Afghanistan at 74/2 and the match evenly poised.
The balance of power shifted once again with a substantial third-wicket partnership, highlighted by Rahmat Shah’s excellent half-century. Just when the chase appeared to be getting comfortable, Kasun Rajitha removed Shah for a solid 62 from 74 balls.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai emerged as the key figures in the chase, with the required run rate remaining neck and neck with the scoring rate, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
The duo delivered in style, both notching impressive half-centuries, and as the partnership progressed, it grew increasingly dominant. A dropped chance in the field allowed Afghanistan to clinch victory, enhancing their net run rate significantly and strengthening their claim to a semi-final spot.
Next, Afghanistan will face the Netherlands in Lucknow on Friday, with a potentially decisive encounter against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium looming a week later.
In terms of the toss, Hashmatullah Shahidi chose to bowl first, citing the potential impact of dew during the evening session. On the other hand, Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka’s captain, was determined to bat first.
Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi returned to the squad in place of the young left-arm unorthodox spinner Noor Ahmad, while Rashid Khan celebrated his 100th appearance in One Day International cricket.
Sri Lanka brought in Dusmantha Chameera and Dimuth Karunaratne, with the latter replacing Kusal Perera.
Despite an early injury to keeper Ikram Alikhil, the first five overs featured limited action as both teams assessed the conditions. The game picked up in the fifth over when Dimuth Karunaratne (15) struck the first boundary, only to be dismissed lbw on the very next ball, following a review.
The run rate remained close to four, with Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka trying to stabilize the innings. Nissanka eventually accelerated, hitting a series of boundaries on a batsman-friendly pitch. Alongside Mendis, they added 62 runs for the second wicket before Nissanka was dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai.
Sadeera Samarawickrama, fresh off back-to-back half-centuries, got his innings going, and Mendis increased the scoring rate. However, the Afghanistan spinners turned the tide of the innings after the mid-innings stage, putting pressure on the Sri Lankan batters and forcing them to play risky shots.
Mendis (39) was caught in the 28th over, and in the very next over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman accounted for Samarawickrama (36).
With four wickets down and not many runs on the board, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva tried to rebuild the innings at a slow pace. Dhananjaya (14) couldn’t capitalize on his start and was bowled by Rashid Khan. Asalanka, too, departed after mistiming a pull shot against Farooqi, offering Rashid a simple catch at mid-off.
A run-out sent Dushmantha Chameera back for just one run, leaving Sri Lanka with a sub-200 score as a daunting prospect. However, a valuable partnership between Theekshana and Mathews boosted the total, but it was cut short when Theekshana was bowled by Farooqi. Mathews’ hopes of providing late momentum were dashed by a sensational catch from Mohammad Nabi.
Kasun Rajitha was the last wicket to fall, run out in the final over as the Sri Lankan tailenders tried to maximize their runs.
